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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29391036">Nothing According to Plan</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatisreggieshortfor/pseuds/whatisreggieshortfor'>whatisreggieshortfor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Valentine’s Day 2021 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, Romantic Friendship, Surprises, Valentine's Day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:27:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,330</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29391036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatisreggieshortfor/pseuds/whatisreggieshortfor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Reggie and Alex are spending Valentine’s Day together single....right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Mercer/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Valentine’s Day 2021 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2154675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nothing According to Plan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s1">‘It wasn’t supposed to happen like this!’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Alex knew something was wrong when Luke picked him up at nine am on Valentine’s Day. The other boy was supposed to have his entire date with Julie already planned out and ready, he kept swearing to the boys that everything was good to go, but that didn’t stop him from calling Alex at eight am saying he needed his help. They’d been out of the apartment for maybe an hour before he saw Reggie’s text on Luke’s phone when he ran into a store, <em>“Thank you for taking him for this. I need everything to be perfect.” </em>and it confused Alex. He thought him and Reggie had plans tonight as the resident singles in the group, and he was secretly thankful because he wanted to spend the day with him anyway. But why did Reggie need him to leave? Did he have a date Alex didn’t know about? Luke came out right after, sticking his bag in the trunk. “Hey!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Does Reggie have a date tonight?” Alex asked before he could stop himself.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Uh-“ Luke froze as he went to start the car, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as he stared at the blonde. He snapped his jaw shut with a click.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Does he?” Alex asked again. He knew he’d hate the answer but he needed to know.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“We don’t know yet.” Luke finally answered. “I know you like him, so just trust me. You’ll see when you get home.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Luke, you know I don’t want to go home if Reggie has a date.” It wasn’t that he was afraid he’d walk in on Reggie getting busy with someone. They were both grey-ace, which was a factor in them getting apartment together instead of with Nick or Luke. He just didn’t want to see Reggie being romantic with someone, he didn’t think his heart could take it. Luke just put a hand on his arm, promising it wasn’t what he thought.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Alex made it back to the apartment building at five thirty. Luke had dropped him off at the corner because there was too much traffic. But the blonde was not expecting to find a fire truck in the parking lot. As he moved toward the building, he saw smoke coming from the window of their apartment and tears sprang to his eyes as he started rushing forward until a fireman stopped him, “You can’t go in there!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“But my roommate is in there!” Alex yelled back, trying to push the man’s arm out of the way.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“No one is in the building sir, we’ve cleared every floor. Check the crowd over there for your friend. The fire is out but we need to check the integrity of the building, so we’ll let you know when you can go inside.” The fireman pointed toward a small gathering of people near an ambulance, and Alex caught sight of Reggie’s dark hair.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Reggie!” Alex yelled, booking it over to his best friend. He collapsed on the ground in front of him, tears streaming down his face as Reggie coughed through telling him he was okay. “You are not okay! You were just in a fire!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Yeah, but it was my fault.” Reggie coughed again, reaching forward to wipe Alex’s eyes. “I was trying to make dinner.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Wha-“ Alex pulled at this hair, “Why were you doing that?” He froze for a second, realization donning on him, “Was this about the date?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Reggie’s eyes widened, “D-date?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Alex shrugged, finally breathing evenly himself. He started twisting his ring around his finger, unable to meet Reggie’s eye, “I saw the text you sent Luke. I figured you needed me gone so you could have a date over.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Oh, Alex, no.” Reggie shook his head frantically, “God, it wasn’t supposed to happen like this!” Reggie took a deep breath, “Look Alex, I stayed single today on purpose. I was gonna do this whole thing when I explained it, but then I added too much oil to the pan and it splashed and caught the tea towel on fire and everything went downhill.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">That was a lot to process, but Alex focused on the beginning, “What do you mean you stayed single on purpose?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“That girl I’d been seeing a couple weeks ago?” Reggie waited for Alex to nod before he continued, “She wanted to do Valentine’s Day together. But when I sat there and thought about being romantic and sappy with someone for a holiday like this, I realized I pictured the same person every time, so I dumped her instead.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“What?” Alex was so confused. Reggie had been seeing the girl for weeks, but if she wasn’t the one he wanted then who was? If it was always the same person, it had to be someone he knew a long time, but everyone was dating someone except Nick, and Nick was straight. “Who did you picture?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“I-“ Reggie bit his lip, searching Alex’s face, “I don’t want to talk about it.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Why? I wouldn’t make fun of you for picking someone weird, Reg. But like the only person I can think of is Nick and Nick is-“</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“It was you!” Reggie yelled, cutting off Alex’s ramble. He spoke quieter, “I was going to surprise you with dinner and tell you that I’ve had a crush on for forever pretty much. I broke up with her so that I could do it if you were still single when the time came without feeling like I was betraying someone.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“You- you have-“</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Reggie closed his eyes, and Alex was heartbroken to see that he was preparing himself to be rejected, “Please just tell me you aren’t interested, ‘Lex. Don’t drag it out.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Why would I ever tell you that?” Alex asked with a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Reggie blinked his eyes open, looking confused, “Because it’s the truth?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Who said that?” Alex slowly brushed a kiss to Reggie’s forehead. “Reg, I like you, too.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Reggie gaped, “You do?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“How could I not?” Alex laughed, “You might not be a good cook, but you’re an amazing guy. I just didn’t think you liked me.” Reggie surged forward, pressing a kiss to Alex’s lips.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Not too long after their awkward confessions in front of a bunch of strangers, they were allowed back inside. The apartment had minor smoke damage, and the paint above the stove was screwed, but when Alex saw the set up Reggie had prepared, he wanted to cry again. The table they had was set for two, with plates and silverware set out, the candles in the center were almost completely melted now, and the rose was beyond dead, but it still reminded Alex of those movie cliches he secretly loved. “Reg.” He breathed out, gripping the shorter boy’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“I wanted everything to be perfect.” The bassist muttered, watching his shoes. Alex nudged his chin up until he could look into his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“It’s beautiful, Reg. I love it.” Alex touched his forehead to Reggie’s, “How did I get so lucky?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Reggie flushed, “S-since when can you flirt?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Alex smirked, “Since I know you like me.” He kissed the tip of Reggie’s nose and huffed a laugh when the shorter boy scrunched his face in response, “So, what were you making for dinner?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Reggie sighed, “I was making pan fried dumplings and a vegetarian stir fry.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Alex blinked, pulling back to see the other boy’s face, “You were making my favorite food?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Well, yeah,” the dark hair boy shrugged, “It was all for you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">The blonde blinked again before he smiled fondly at Reggie, “Reg, will you be my boyfriend?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“R-really?” He grinned.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">“Yeah, I want Valentine’s Day next year to be our anniversary so I can celebrate you even more.” The beam from Reggie was more than answer enough as they settled onto the couch and ordered take out, sharing lazy kisses as they watched movies and cuddle until they fell asleep wrapped up together on the couch.</span>
</p>
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